Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-07-30
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON. July %. 1SSi


and feeling all the better for the de-
lightful outing and cordial reception
throughout the trip, but more espec-
tally, at the boyhood home of the
President, where his old friends and
neighbors eagerly thronged about
him, glad to honor the man who
had risen, like a meteor, from the
humblest to the proudest and great
est position on earth, and who greet
ed each and all with a good word
and q kindly smile of recognition.
At the White House, it is not yet
known what other summer plans the
the President has arranged-only the
Atlanta visit in October having been
positively decided upon-but, l do
not think he can refuse assent to the
opportunities of st. Louis, Louisville,
and other western cities.
Some alarm was felt at the White
House the other day at the discov-
cry that the laths and rafters in the
southern portico were decayed, and
it was thought that the mansion was
in danger of a collapse, but an exam
in9tion has dispelled all fear, as only
slight repairs will be necessary to
stay the defacing hand of time.
| learn that the Administration
regards with the liveliest satisfaction
the deliberations and nominations
of the Ohio Democrats, and, that the
President feels that his course has
been substantially endorsed.
The receipts Of the Post Office De-
partment for the third quarter of the
last fiscal year were ~$13,O52,407; ex-
penditures, $~13,272,5OS deficiency,
$3.50 ,O21; but the latter will perhaps
be reduced to about SIC, 900, by the re-
ceipts from international money Or
ders. A comparative statement of
the business of this Department for
the first three quarters of the years
lSS5-S6-S7, show that the receipts
have constantly and largely increas-
ed and that there has been a cores
ponding decrease in the deficiency
4
so that it is very probable the Post
Office Department will be on a self
sustaining basis in a year or two.
The count of the cash and securi-
ties in the Treasury which began
two months a ago-incidental to a
change of Treasurers-has been COM
pleted and found correct to a cent,
with the exception of deficiency of
$40, though a formal report will
not be made till next week.
In reply to a great number of in
quiries, the Commissioner of Pen
sions replies, that under the MeXi-
can Pension Act, pensions can be paid
from the date of the passage of the
Act, Jan. 29th, 1887, only when pen
sioners were siXty-twO years old pre-
vious to that date; in the exceptions
to this rule, the payment will begin
on the day when the pensioner is g.
years ofage, unless in cases of depend
ence and disability.
The Secretary of the Interior has
won additional claim to the admira'
ton of the fair sex by the important
ruling that married women have the
right to enter and buy timber and
stone lands under the laws govern
ing the sale of such lands in severa.
of the States and Territories.
There was no surprise in the Int
rior Department when the resigna
ton of the chief clerk or the Patent
Office who is one of those SocalleC
indispensable" Republicans hold
ing office under a Democratic Ad
ministration, was announced, though
the Washington newspapers eitheI
suppressed or were profoundly ignO
rant Of the real reason, which wa:
the Chief Clerks relation to the Ba
con ~defalcation, it being the former
duty, under the law Of the United
States, to examine the accounts Of TIL,
financial clerk every month, and Ger
tify whether or not they are correct
And the Chief Clerk regularly certi
fed to the correctness of the financial
clerks accounts, for four years-th'
latter beinga defaulter all ofthat time
And nosooner is the chief clerk showl
the door than he essays the Difficult
task of embarrassing" his cor
rupt associate in Office fin nothing
more.
There is no doubt but what the va
rious Departments are literally hon
eycOmbed with Republicanrascals ant
thieves who should be sent on wit
forger Harvey, who will serve hi
country twelve years in an humbl
nonooity of Albany In ono of th